Sir Thomas Alston, 5th Baronet (23 March 1724 – 18 July 1774) was an English Baronet and Member of Parliament. [1]
Thomas Alston was the eldest son of Sir Rowland Alston, 4th Baronet of Odell, Bedfordshire, [1] [2] by his wife, Elizabeth Raynes. He was born on 23 March 1724 and baptised at St. James Church, Westminster nearly one month later, 22 April 1724. [3] He was admitted at Queens' College, Cambridge in 1740. [4] From 1747 to 1761 he was MP for Bedfordshire. In 1750 he married Catherine Davie Bovey, but separated from her by mutual consent two years later. Confined for a while to a madhouse, he was nevertheless re-elected to Parliament unopposed in 1754. Horace Walpole reported a sorry appearance in the House of Commons in November 1755: "Poor Alston was mad, and spoke ten times to order." [1]
On 2 January 1759, he succeeded his father as 5th Baronet. He did not stand for Parliament in 1761.
Alston died 18 July 1774, leaving his property ( Odell Castle) to his housekeeper Margaret Lee, through whom it eventually made its way to his illegitimate son Thomas. [1] He was buried at Odell. [4]
References
- ^ a b c d Namier et al., The House of Commons 1754-1790, Vol. 3, p.18
- ^ Venn, Alumni Cantabrigienses seems confused, making him the second son of a Sir Rowland, Bart., and also succeed 'his brother Rowland' as Baronet in 1759.
- ^ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
- ^ a b "Alston, Thomas (ALSN740T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.